If you are considering homeschooling your children, you may wonder whether this is the right choice for you. To help you out we have a questionnaire to get you started. Check our questions below and answer them honestly to see if homeschooling is the right road for you to take.

 

Do you have patience with your children?

When you are homeschooling your children, you’d need to be quite calm and patient with them. They are getting their first steps into this vast world of knowledge that you’ve understood long ago. It all may seem easy from your point of view but it’s quite different for them. They don’t realize the connections you’ve made, they haven’t yet experienced it in their lives.

So, it’s going to be much harder for them to grasp the ins and outs of what you are trying to teach them.

This is especially true if one of your children is a slow learner or have a learning disability. In general, people who homeschool need to have a huge level of patience with their children. So, it is vitally important to explore your patience level with your children.

 

Do you have the necessary time and resources available to teach and support your homeschooling journey?

If you are planning to teach your children on your own at home, keep in mind - that takes lots of time and resources. You’d have to dedicate several hours a day to teach them, help them learn, and aid them with the work they have to do. Also,  you'd need the ability to borrow materials from others who have homeschooled (should finances be tight), and the ability to purchase used or new books online.

That way you'd be able to supply all the necessary tools and textbooks. A hard task if you are working long hours, have an inflexible schedule or have too many demands that need your time. 

 

Can you easily explain elementary and more complex stuff - lessons, skills, problems, etc. - to your children?

It’s one thing to know a skill or a lesson. it’s completely different when you have to explain it to someone. Especially in such a way that they can grasp the information and learn that thing.

You’d need to be able to teach your children not only basics but some more complex topics, too. Remember, this should happen in a way that allows the kids to later apply their knowledge.

 

Are you interested in learning new things yourself?

You cannot know everything that your kids need to master during their school ages. So, you should be open and willing to learn new things. This applies not only to the study material. You’d also need to go into novel areas on learning how to teach.

 

Do you have a subject you dislike and can you put those feelings aside and not transfer them to your teaching?

You may hate math, for instance. Yet, it’s still a required subject. Or you may have a distaste for STEM. Yet, you will need to teach your children those subjects. As such, you’d have to be able to distance yourself from your feelings. Can you keep an open mind and not transfer those feelings to your children so as not to make them biased?

 

Can you exercise control over your children without them losing attention and without you applying negative methods?

You should be able to keep the attention of your children for extended periods. Entertainment should come alongside tutoring. You’d need to realize how to do those things without any negative repercussions from your side.

 

Can you commit to homeschooling for at least one school year?

It would be hard for your children if they went back to school during the school year. Then all the other kids have already made friends and know each other pretty well. So, try to make sure you have at least one full school year to commit to homeschooling.

 

Can you devote extra time to taking your children to extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, etc., so they can socialize?

Lack of in-school socialization will need to be made up for via extracurricular activities. Those include sports teams, interest clubs, etc. and those are going to need your time.

 

Can you deal with the negative attitude some people have about homeschooling?

Be prepared to face negative attitudes coming from people you know or don’t know at all. Your friends and family members may dislike your situation. Sometimes they might criticize you for homeschooling. So, can you deal with such comments without feeling put down by them? 

 

If you answered positively to more than 5 of the above questions, it’s highly probable that the homeschooling journey you are starting will be a success! Good luck!